Lee Dong-wook says filming ‘Single in Seoul’ made him reflect on his past relationships

WOODZ will be enlisting into the military in January 2024.On December 10, the K-pop singer wrote to fans informing them of his impending military enlistment. Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men are required to serve for at least 18 months.

Naman Ramachandran The Singapore Film Commission (SFC) celebrated its 25th anniversary during the 34th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) with a lavish party attended by the great and the good of the industry. Though the local box office for Singaporean films has yet to regain its pre-pandemic heights, they are doing well internationally with 2023 alone seeing selections at all the top festivals, including Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Busan and San Sebastian.

Like the Japanese with their Godzilla movies, the Koreans are partial to a bit of post-apocalyptic social satire, and Um Tae-Hwa’s box office hit Concrete Utopia follows a path trailblazed in 2013 by Bong Joon-ho’s cult sci-fi Snowpiercer. Adapted from the popular webtoon Pleasant Outcast by Kim Soong Nyung and partly inspired by British writer J.G. Ballard’s 1975 novel High-Rise, it centers on a Korean apartment block whose residents become lawless after a terrifying earthquake rips through the country.

Director Denis Villeneuve has high hopes for Dune: Part Two, which is currently scheduled for release on March 1, 2024, after bouncing through several potential dates.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief China’s Linmon Media celebrated its tenth anniversary this week by unveiling 16 new shows for its 2024 production and release slate. The roster included seven Chinese period drama series, five contemporary shows and two more being made in Thailand. “We are not just a producer, we are a studio,” Zhou Yuan, co-founder and EVP of Linmon, told Variety on the sidelines of the company’s predominantly English-language presentation at the Asia Television Forum & Market in Singapore.

BLACKPINK are still discussing their individual contracts with YG Entertainment, the label has confirmed.YG Entertainment announced yesterday (December 6) that BLACKPINK had re-signed with the K-pop agency following a months-long negotiation process, saying that the quartet would be releasing “new albums” and embarking on “world tours” in the future.However, in its statement, YG Entertainment also said that BLACKPINK had “signed an exclusive contract for group activities”, which left questions about the quartet’s individual contracts with the agency.In a later statement to South Korean news outlet eToday, YG Entertainment confirmed that “the exclusive contracts for individual members are still being negotiated”.In addition, the label also said that it is currently “difficult to provide details” about the duration of BLACKPINK’s new group contract, as well as any possible upcoming plans for new music. “For now, please kindly refer to the official statement only,” per TV Report, as translated by Soompi.Yesterday, the share price of YG Entertainment shot up by as much as 29 per cent after it announced that BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with the agency.

Chinese streaming giant iQiyi has hailed the integration of artificial intelligence into its development and pitching processes.

Naman Ramachandran The consultation process for the upcoming Indian broadcasting bill that will regulate streaming will be “fair and independent,” the head of India‘s media regulatory body says. In September, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) invited industry stakeholders for consultation on the formulation of a national broadcasting policy. In recent days there have been concerns that some streamers would oppose the bill on the grounds that it would impose restrictions on them.

Naman Ramachandran The direct-to-consumer SVOD model which is undergoing uncertain times was the subject of a presentation by Tony Gunnarsson, senior principal analyst, OTT video, media and entertainment at Omdia. Gunnarsson was speaking at Singapore’s Asia TV Forum and Market. The number of pay-TV subscribers remains above one billion and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Webtoons, the vertical-scrolling iteration of digital comics that emerged some twenty years ago in Korea, along with the smartphone, are now a global medium. But they are only at the beginning of their global journey, says Charlie Park, CEO of Kakao Entertainment-owned Tapas. Park was speaking Tuesday at the Asia Television Forum in Singapore in a session moderated by industry consultant Jimmy Kim. Park explained that the webtoon segment was for several years a niche fan-driven activity with few opportunities for monetization.

Mark Shelmerdine, the veteran producer who revived London Films as an indie powerhouse and played a pivotal role in the development of the international TV distribution market, died October 26 in Santa Barbara surrounded by his family. He was 78.

Sweet Home season two.At a press conference for the new season of the Netflix series, the 29-year-old actor confirmed that Sweet Home season two, which premieres later today (December 1), will be his “last show” before his enlistment.“That’s the way things are. It’s obviously something that is my responsibility so I will fulfil my duty as a military serviceman, and I will be back healthy and well,” Song Kang said, per AsiaOne.All able-bodied male citizens of South Korea are required to serve between 18 to 21 of military service, usually before the age of 30.

Naman Ramachandran Yosep Anggi Noen, whose “24 Hours with Gaspar” premiered at Busan and is playing at the Red Sea and Singapore festivals, has lined up his next movie, an untitled horror film. The film is produced by Palari Films, the Jakarta-based production company behind Edwin’s “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2021. Noen is no stranger to Locarno glory himself, having been nominated in 2012 for “Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses” and in 2016 for “Solo, Solitude” and scored a special mention in 2019 for “The Science of Fictions.” The untitled horror-drama-thriller film, produced by Palari’s Muhammad Zaidy and Meiske Taurisia, will unite acclaimed actors Happy Salma and Putri Marino for the first time.

Janine Stein “Tiger Stripes”, the opening film of this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), was “kind of a joke that became something very, very close to me and ended up being this film,” Malaysian filmmaker, Amanda Nell Eu, said during Thursday night’s opening ceremony. Speaking to a packed theatre before the screening, Eu said her inspiration had been puberty mixed with her sense of humor.

AOA member Choa has opened up about life as a K-pop idol and how some of them “rely on medications” to survive.The singer made the comments during a press event for the new South Korean TV show Singer Sisters, which she appears on. The singer revealed that “many K-pop stars rely on medications to get through the day in the industry” when asked about what advice she would give to younger idols, per SBS Star.“Juggling demanding schedules in Korea and around the world at the same time, some K-pop stars face challenges with their mental health,” the singer added.

Welcome to Samdal-ri, starring Shin Hye-sun and Ji Chang-wook.Welcome to Samdal-ri will star Shin Hye-sun as a small-town girl named Cho Sam-dal, whose sole goal in life was to make it big and move to Seoul. Meanwhile, her childhood best friend Jo Young-pil (played by Ji Chang-wook) has always been content with staying in their hometown of Samdal.The new trailer for Welcome to Samdal-ri opens with Cho Sam-dal reflecting on her life: “Back in my hometown, Jeju Island, there’s one thing they stress the most with new Haenyeos: ‘Don’t try to outdo yourself.

Strong Woman series of K-dramas.Today (November 20), YTN reported JTBC has plans to continue its hit series of Strong Woman K-dramas, citing unnamed industry sources. The second instalment of the series, Strong Woman Nam-soon, is currently airing.JTBC later confirmed the report in a statement to Newsen, saying: “We have plans for another instalment, but we are currently concentrating on writing another project.”The original series, Strong Woman Bong-soon, first aired in 2017 and was led by Park Bo-young, Park Hyun-sik and Ji Soo.

EXCLUSIVE: Korean American comedian, writer and producer Cathy Shim is the latest to join the cast of the film K-Pops! from first-time director and eight-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak (who also stars). She will play Diamond, the energetic iconic host of a K-pop competition show in Seoul, and .Paak’s hard-to-please boss.

France’s César Academy has unveiled its annual Revelations list showcasing 32 emerging acting talents making their mark in the French-speaking cinema world.

K-pop label YG Entertainment has provided an update on contract renewal negotiations with BLACKPINK, saying that they are still ongoing.The entertainment company made a brief statement to South Korean media, including Sports Chosun, yesterday (November 14) saying that it is “still negotiating with the artists regarding their exclusive contracts”, as translated by Koreaboo. No other details regarding the current status of the discussions were divulged, but YG Entertainment shared in the same statement that an announcement of the negotiations’ outcome “will be revealed through the document regarding major management issues related to investments.” An exact date for this report’s publication has yet to be announced.Negotiations surrounding the status of BLACKPINK’s expiring contracts with YG Entertainment have been underway since July, and their contracts were said to have expired in August.